The Do's & Don't's of International Service: Baring Witness, Taking Responsiblity, and Doing Good Work - 2015

Are you curious about traveling to do service work abroad in communities that are struggling, or are you currently doing work outside your own community and feel that you need more skills and tools to be effective? Have you noticed that - even with the best intentions - simply being part of a dominant culture can actually impede one's understanding, communication, and ability to truly be of service? Are you interested in unpacking the complex issues of power and privilege so that our personal and organizational choices can contribute to greater empowerment for all?

There is a very real risk of causing unintended harm while doing good and engaging in service, especially when traveling abroad or working outside of our own community. To better understand the unexamined effects of power and privilege, one of the first actions that we can take is to look closely at our own motivations for being of service. We can also examine some of the hidden assumptions that we hold as well as our cultural complicity in the very struggles that we seek to alleviate.

Seane and Suzanne have led Seva Challenge Trips for nearly a decade and have learned, through firsthand experience, how these tools around power and privilege are not only helpful but necessary when attempting to be of service and make a difference in the world. During this course, we will share stories and best practices, as well as invite a lively conversation and questions from the wisdom of the community. We will encourage transparency and authenticity as we engage in critical thinking about sacred activism, social justice, and international service.

Join us!

*We encourage you to participate in the calls live if possible, and will also send out a link to listen to a recording of the call at your own convenience